Let’s cut to the chase. Workplace expectations have changed. To succeed, businesses need to change with them – quickly.
Here are strategies to build a flexible workforce that prepares your business for success in 2023 and beyond.
The Impacts of Hybrid and Remote Work
Remote work is the new normal. According to research from Gartner, 48 percent of employees are working remotely – an increase of 18 percent over pre-pandemic numbers.
Workers now expect remote work to be an option in most industries and roles. Even when in-person activity is needed, workers expect flexibility when it comes to tasks that can be performed off-site, like paperwork or bookkeeping.
Remote and hybrid work offers benefits for employers as well. For example, companies that embrace remote and hybrid work can improve workflows, encourage self-directed efforts and engagement, and save money on the overhead of maintaining office space for an entire staff.
Need a more flexible workforce strategy? Give Key Resource Group, LLC a call, and we'll provide the solutions and great people you need to adapt
Is a Recession Coming? How to Plan and Prepare
Economic news throughout 2022 has revealed a number of challenges. Supply chain problems, rising inflation, fluctuating interest rates, and other signs point to a potential recession in the near future.
Whether or not a recession occurs, steps that companies take now to guard against a recession will provide benefits in the future. These include:
- Making an honest appraisal of the company’s health. Where do business conditions stand right now - and how will a recession affect them? How has the pandemic affected your business model? How have skill needs changed, and where are your current skills gaps?
- Identifying essential skills. These include the skills required to distinguish your organization from competitors. Quantify which skills are available on your teams and which are lacking. Distinguish between roles and the skills required to fulfill each role.
- Creating a talent plan. Where are skills lacking? Where are they likely to fall behind in the next five years? Where can you find talent with the skills required to fill those gaps - and what is the most cost-effective way to do so?
An honest assessment of your workforce today can help you plan for tomorrow. With a plan in place, your organization will have an advantage over those who choose not to plan - whether the future holds a grueling recession or comfortable growth.
Addressing Chronic Talent Shortages
The push for remote work has also opened new venues for finding talent. As workers are freed from the need to be in the office, employers are free from hiring only those who can reach the office. Global hiring is becoming a reality, changing the competition for talent.
These changes in hiring patterns are also changing how businesses think about skill sets. Rather than thinking about jobs as defined roles, many companies are breaking down each role into its component skills. By hiring for skills, a company can ensure that each essential task is addressed by someone with the capacity to do it well – without having to force that person into a predetermined title or role that may offer a poor fit.
When skills become the focus of hiring, companies are better equipped to address talent shortages and skills gaps. They can also offer candidates a truly personalized work experience - one of the biggest driving demands of the Great Resignation.
Contingent/Gig Work and Your Business
Contingent and gig work continues to grow as companies look for ways to manage staffing costs and workers look for flexible opportunities to expand specific skills. Contingent and gig workers offer a way for companies and teams to add specific, niche skill sets to their core competencies when needed.
Another benefit: Contingent and gig workers are comfortable juggling multiple projects, teams, and workflows. In fact, many enter contingent or gig work because they prefer it. These workers have much to teach core teams about the nature of work in the coming decade.
Building a Team to Weather the Storms
Assessing skills and identifying sources of talent are essential to building a resilient workforce. Yet your workforce isn’t the only team your organization will need for success.
As you consider the lay of the land, work with professionals who specialize in understanding how hiring patterns change and where to find qualified talent. Staffing recruiters spent the pandemic watching workforce changes unfold in real time. They leveraged relationships with skilled workers and established companies to understand each side’s pain points and aspirations.
This experience equipped staffing firms to provide valuable insight into the changing nature of work. To learn more, talk to your staffing recruiter today.
Key Resource Group, LLC is here to serve as your strategic workforce planning partner. Let's review and update your plan together and make 2023 a great year for your business.